Means and method of making wire and the like



E. E. TROSS 2,074,713 MEANS AND METHOD OF MAKING WIRE AND THE LIKE March 23, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1935 m a Q, & wk m hw w g wx :1 w wm %N L A Sm Kw 9w kw L v Q\ MN 6 MN NW m w g Q m. R k w M. h w 5 J S WM U W 6 March 23, 1937. E E TROSS 2,074,713

MEANS AND METHOD MAKING WIRE AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 19, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/TNESSEJ INVENTOR. (Za%,w

E. E. TROSS March 23, 1937.

MEANS AND METHOD OF MAKING WIRE AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 19, 1935 IN VEN TOR.

5 (wm flm 4 ATTORNEY:

Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES ethane MEANS Ann 'ivm'rnon or AND THE Him Ernest E. Tross, Youngstown, Ulric, assigfnor to United Engineering &

Foundry Company,

Pittsburgh, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania- Application October 19, 1935, Serial No. i5,i'l3

v 2t Claims. (Cl. 29-33) This invention relates to apparatus and processes for commercially manufacturing wire, rod and other strand elements from sheet metal or strip.

5 Prior to the present invention various means and methods have been suggested for the manufacture oi wire from sheet metal. Obviously a a considerable saving in .time, labor and resulting wire cost could be efiected by rolling an ingot to sheet form with a subsequent emcient separation 'of the sheet to wires. This would eliminate the relativelytedious and expensive usual present practice of making wire by rolling an ingot to bariorm with a cold drawing of the wire.

However, known machines and methods of making wire from sheets or strip have not ,been readily adapted to com'mercialproduction methods and moreover have been open to the objection that the initial'and maintenance costs of the apparatus were high. This has been due chiefly to the fact that the most successful of the prior 7 types of apparatus have had a relatively large number of rolls of special shape for reducing the wire or rod from sheet form. Again, many of 5 the known apparatus produce the Wire from plates or slabs so that the operation has been relatively slow and expensive since considerable rolling and shaping is required.

In certain of the prior known methods and apparatus grinding wheels have been incorporated to remove .burrs and the like from the stranded elements and this has added materially to the time and cost of manufacture. Trouble has also 3 been experienced in former practices in obtain- 35 ing a round wire or rod and a plurality of rolling operations have been necessary and even then the burr formed by the original separation of the plate, slab or sheet into a wire-like element has not been completely erased. Moreover the severe.

rolling operation often leaves fins or burrs of its own creation.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difllculties of prior practices and apparatus for making wire by the provision of improved means and methods for commercially manufacturi wire,.rod or the like of desired cross-sectional configuration directly from sheet metal or strip.

Another object of the invention is to providev a novel method of rapidly and effectively making stranded elements from flat sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide substantially automatic apparatus for manufac- 55 turing wire or rod, of any desired configuration therein on opposite sides and free from surface ridges or roll marks, from sheet metal or strip.

In the practice of my inventive method a sheet or strip of metal is rolled to provide channels which define the wires to be produced with a subsequent separation of the sheet through the channels to provide a plurality of wire-like elements of polygonal cross section; The elements are then pulled under tension across or through a plurality of axially spaced dies, which together circ'umferentially enclose the elements, to thereby trim the elements to wires of any desired cross section, generally round. The wires are usually coiled to facilitate handling but they may be passed directly to apparatus for shearing into lengths, annealing, or the like.

My invention also includes apparatus tor-commercially manufacturing wire, rod or the like from sheet metal or strip, and in the preferred form. of the invention means are provided for channeling opposite sides of the strip to define the wires with further means for separating the strip at the channels into the wire-like elements. A plurality of longitudinally spaced dies, with each only partially surrounding the elements, but together completely surrounding the elements, are employed together with means for drawing the elements through the dies under tension to shape the elements into wires of the proper cross-sectional shape. r

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is a plan view, partiallytbroken away, of one embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line II-.-Il'. of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 2 and illustrating the cross-sectional shape of the strip prior to working; Fig. 4 is a vertical, transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2 and showing the strip after grooving; Fig. 5 is a vertical, transverse, cross-sectional view taken on llne.V-V of Fig.2 and illustrating the strip after it has been separated into a plurality of elements; Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2 and showing the trimming of the wire-like elements;- and Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 butis taken on line VII- VE of Fig. 2 and illustrates the further trimming of the wire-like elements to the desired cross-sectional contour.

' Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter S indicates the flat sheet metal or strip ordinarily employed in the practice of the invention, and for ease of handling and inv order to apply the proper back tension to the strip it is usually coiled as at In and carried upon a drum H in a suitable coil box l2. Some means are preferably provided for applying a controlled braking tension to the strip S, and in the form of the invention illustrated this is accomplished by providing the drum II with a shaft |3 whichis releasably received in a braking unit l4 of any desired type, such as dynamic or frictional.

From the coil box the strip S is passed to mechanism for channeling or grooving the strip from its flat cross-sectional shape, as shown in Fig. 3, to the contour shown in Fig. 4, wherein the grooves are identified by the numeral l6. Preferably the grooves 6 are of triangular shape, not only because of the ease of forming them in this shape, but also because the shape facilitates the formation of a polygonal wire and particularly a round wire. The grooving mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral 1, preferably comprises a roll stand of the backing roll type having work-engaging rolls I8 and backing rolls l9 all carried in a standard frame 20. At least the work-engaging rolls l8 are driven as by a motor 22 through a gear box 23. The work-engaging rolls 8 are formed with integral or removable triangularly shaped ribs which operate to form the grooves or channels IS on the strip S, as seen in Fig. 4, in opposed, aligned, parallel relation with the spacing between the grooves IG being such as to substantially define the wires or rods to be formed from the strip.

Means are preferably associated with the roll stand for feeding the strip S between the workengaging rolls |8.. These may be of the wellknown sticker type which briefly includes clamping jaws 26 carried by piston rod 21 of an aircylinder 28. Thus by clamping the jaws 26 about the strip S and operating the air-cylinder 28 the strip S can be fed positively through the rolls |8 with the jaws 26 then being released and retracted to such a position that they serve merely as a guide or if desired they may be partially clamped against the strip to provide a slight tensioning action upon the strip S passing 'therethrough.

From the channeling mechanism I1 the strip S passes to apparatus for separating the strip into a plurality of wire-like elements. The sheet is separated at the opposed channels as best 11- lustrated by a comparison of Figs. 4 and 5. The separating operation can be performed either by a true shearing or slitting operation or it may be done by a tearing operation. More particularly, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and describedherein, the apparatus for separating the strip into a plurality of elements is indicated as a whole by the numeral 29 and includes work-engaging rolls 30 and 3| which are backed by supporting rolls 32. The rolls are journalled in and carried by a suitable frame 33 with the usual adjusting means 34 being provided to control the clearance between the rolls is provided upon the sheet S and separation of the individual wire-like elements is readily accomplished as illustrated in Fig, 5.

From the separating or shearing apparatus 29 the wire-like elements pass to a trimmer indicated generally by the numeral 4| which includes a base 42 carrying side frames 43 and 44. The side frames 43 and 44 are adjustable toward and from each other by the provision of opposite hand-screws 46 which are operated by bevelled gearing 41 through a shaft 48 driven by a motor 49. The side frames 43 and 44 carry and journal a plurality of pulleys or rollers 5| to 58 which receive the individual elements from the separating apparatus and which further separate the elements so that they may be properly trimmed as hereafter explained. More particularly every other element passes over the aligned pulleys or rollers 55 and 56 and then under the pulleys or rollers 53 and 54. The alternate elements pass under the pulleys or rollers 5| and 52 and then over the pulleys or rollers 51 and 58. Thus in operation two sets of spaced-apart elements are provided with first one set being positioned above the other set and then with their positions reversed. v

With the wire-like elements carried and separated as just described they'are trimmed up to the desired cross-sectional contour. This is accomplished in the embodiment of the invention bars 6| and 62 on the side frames 43 and transverse bars 63 and 64 on the side frames 44.

The transverse bars 6|, 62, 63 and 64 all carry dies or trimming blades 68 as indicated in Fig. 6. These dies may of course be made of any desired cutting contour but are formed half round for making round wire. the dies 68 carried by the transverse bar 6| aretrimming approximately the upper half of the circumference of the wire-like elements carried in the upper position, the dies 68 carried by the transverse frame 63 are trimming approximately the lower half of the circumference of the elements in the lower position. When the positions of the two sets of elements are reversed as above explained the dies or cutter blades 68, carried by the transverse bars 32 and 64, engage with the untrimmed sides of the wire-like elements to complete the circumferential trimming or shaping thereof as shown in Fig. '1.

The vertical position of the transverse bars GI, 62, 63 and 64 with respect to the side frames 43 and 44 can be controlled as by the provision of slot guides for the ends of the transverse bars with adjustable, hand-screws" for moving the bars up or down on the side frames. Thus the particular force or angle with which the dies 68 engage with the wire-like elements can readily be controlled. The adjustment of the clearance between the side frames 43 and 44 by the operation of the motor 49 determines the distance separating the upper row of elements from the lower row.

Leaving the trimmer 4| the strip S passes to a coiler, indicated generally by the numeral 13, which includes a collapsible drum 14 driven by a motor 15 through a gear box 16. The coiler 13 is adapted to pull the wire-like elements through the apparatus under considerable tension as created by the tensioning mechanism |4 whereby the various grooving, separating and trimming operations are more effectively and accurately performed. 4

It is believed that the operation of the appa- As seen from Fig. 6, while of the strip to the coiling drum I3 is facilitated.

The work-engaging rolls ii! are then adjusted to channel the strip and with the entire apparatus running slowly the strip is slowly advanced. The'slitter or separating apparatus 29 is brought into operation when the channeled portion of the strip S has reached it. Thus the strip S is divided into a plurality of wire-like elements and apparatus 4! the motor 49 is operated to move the side frames 43 and 44 towards each other so that the rollers 5| to 58 engage with and sepatrimming dies 68, carried by the transverse bars iii to M, are then adjusted into contact with the sides of the elements by operation of the hand-wheels 10. When the apparatus is satisfactorily functioning to form round wires or rods the operation continues until the entire strip or sheet has been made into wire.

-While the invention is applicable broadly to @making wires and rods of various sizes and characteristics, it is also particularly adapted to the 1 manufacture of welding rods as described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 7,194, filed February 19, 1935. Thus, after rolling an ingot to sheet form having the relatively 5 pure uncontaminated metal at the edges of the sheet it totalling approximately one-quarter of the total width of the sheet (one-eighth on both sides), the pure metal portions are sheared off. Subsequent handling of the sheared-off portions in accordance with my herein disclosed apparatus and process results in the production of a particularly pure and effective welding rod which can be manufactured efficiently incommercial quantities. 1 j

The apparatus and method of the invention are particularly adapted to the rapid and yet satisfactory commercial manufacture of wires, rods and the like. Heavy initial or maintenance costs for apparatus are avoided. The roll and other tool equipment is relatively simple, rugged and long-lived. Rolling of the separatedwire-like elements is avoided and by pulling the elements under tension over dies which only partially surround the circumference of the elements the die cost, as well as ease of adjusting the dies, sharpening, etc., is materially improved. Accordingly, the above-stated objects of the invention are achieved.

In accordance with the patent statutes one embodiment of the apparatus and several manners of practicing the invention have been illustrated and described in detail. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby but is defined inthe appended claims. I

Although particularly adapted for the manufacture of small gauge wire and rod fromsheet or strip metal the invention contemplates the use of metal plate as a starting material. It 7 should also be appreciated that elements of various cross-sectional contours, such as hexagonal,-

octagonal; square and the like, instead of rounds.

I claim: I

1. Apparatus for making wire or rod-from may be produced as continued forward movement of the strip brings the separated elements to the'trimming rate the elements into two distinct planes. The

' rounding the other half of the circumference of to form triangular sheet, a sticker metal in sheet form comprising a 4-high mill, means for supplying sheet metal to the mill under tension,work-engaging rolls in the mill for forming parallel opposed grooves on each side of the sheet spaced apart substantially the width of the 5 wires tobe formed, means for separating the sheet at the grooves to form a plurality of wirelike elements polygonal in cross section, means for rounding one half of the circumference of each element, other means spaced longitudinally of the elements from the first-named rounding means for rounding the other half of the circumference of each element, and means for pulling and coiling the elements under tension.

2. Apparatus for making wire or rod from metal in sheet form comprising sheet-engaging rolls for forming .parallel opposed grooves on eachside of the sheet spaced apart substantially the diameter of the wires to be formed, means for separating the sheet at the grooves to form .20 aplurality of wire-like elements polygonal in cross section, means for rounding one half of the circumference of each element, other means placed after the first-named rounding means for each element, and means for coiling the elements.

3. In mechanism for making rod or wire from strip metal the combination which includes rotatable members for separating the strip into wire-like elements, a plurality of stationary means spaced longitudinally of the elements and each engaging with only a part of the circum ference of the elements for trimming the elements to wire shape, and means for pulling the strip and elements under tension through the mechanism.

4. Apparatus for making wire or red from metal in sheet form comprising a 'mill, means for supplying sheet metal to the mill, workengaging rolls in the mill for forming parallel trianguar grooves on the sheet spaced apart substantially the diameter of the wires to be formed, means for separating the sheet at the grooves to form a plurality of wire-like octagonallyshaped elements, means for shaping the circumference of each element comprising a stationary semi-circular die, a second stationary semi-circular die spaced longitudinally of the first-named die, and means for coiling the elements.

5. Apparatus. for making wire or rod from metal in sheet form comprising means for separating the sheet to form a plurality of wire-like elements polygonal in cross section, means for rounding one half of the circumference of each element, other means remote from the'firstnamed rounding means for rounding the other half of the circumference of each element, and means for pulling and coiling the elements under tension.

-6. Apparatus for forming strands from flat sheet including a pair of driven rolls having opposed triangularly shaped ribs thereon adapted slots on opposite sides of the for feeding the sheet into the .rolls, a brake for'tensionin the sheet in passing 0;

through the rolls, a pair of shearing rolls having alternate grooves and flanges, the flanges of each the grooves of the other and roll extending into adapted to shear the sheet through the slots to a form a plurality of octagonally shaped strands, '70 dies positioned above and below the strands, rollers for directing each strand against the upper dies and against the lower dies for shaping each strand substantially round, and a coiler for pulling and coiling the strands under tension.

7. Apparatus for forming strands from flat sheet including a pair of driven rolls having opposed ribs thereon adapted to form slots on opposite sides of the sheet, and a pair of rolls having alternate grooves and flanges, the flanges of each roll being aligned with the grooves of the other and adapted to separate the sheet through the slots to form a plurality of octagonally shaped strands, stationary dies positioned above and below the strands, rollers for directing each strand against the upper dies and against the lower dies for shaping each strand substantially round, and a coiler for pulling and coiling the strands under tension.

8. Apparatus for forming strands from flat .sheet including a pair of driven rolls having opposed ribs thereon adapted to form slots on opposite sides of the sheet, a pair of rolls adapted to separate the sheetithrough the slots to form a plurality of strands, stationary semicircular dies positioned above and below the strands, rollers' for directing certain of the strands against the upper dies and other of the strands against the lower dies for shaping part of the circumference of the directed strands substantially round, and

' of each wire to round, trimming the other half of the circumference of each wire to round, and coiling the wire under tension.

10. The method of making pure welding rod which comprises rolling an ingot to sheet form, shearing approximately one-eighth of the total width of the sheet 011 each side of the sheet, forming opposed parallel triangular grooves on opposite sides of the sheared-oil? portions of the sheet, said grooves being spaced apart substantially the diameter of the rod to be produced,

separating the sheet at the grooves into rods octagonal in cross section, pulling the rods under tension across dies to trim approximately one half of the circumference of each rod to round, pulling the rods under tension across other dies to trim approximately the other half of the circumference of each \rod to round, and coiling the rods.

11. The method of making wire or rod from metal sheet which comprises the steps of separating the sheet into wire-like elements, trimming substantially one half of the circumference of each e ement, trimming the other half of the circumference of each element at a point remote from the first trimming point, and maintaining the element under tension during the trimming operation. a

12. The method of making rod which comprises forming opposed parallel triangular grooves on opposite sides of a metal sheet, said grooves being spaced apart substantially the diameter of the rod 'to be produced, separating the sheet at the grooves into rods octagonal in cross section, pulling the rods under tension across dies to trim approximately one half of the circumference of each rod to round, and pulling the rods under tension across other dies to trim approximately the other half of the circumference of each rod to round.

13. The method of making rod which comprises forming opposed parallel grooves on opposite sides of a metal sheet, said grooves being spaced apart substantially the diameter of the rod to be produced, separating the sheet at the grooves into rods, pulling the rods under tension across dies to trim approximately one half of the circumference of each rod to round, and pulling 'the rods under tension across other dies spaced longitudinally of the first-named dies to trim approximately the other half of the circumference of each rod to round.

14. The method of making rod which comprises forming opposed parallel grooves on opposite sides of a metal sheet, said grooves being spaced apart substantially the diameter of the rod to be produced, separatingthe sheet at the grooves into rods, separating the rods into groups defining parallel planes, and pulling the rods under tension across stationary longitudinally spaced dies each engaging with only part of the circumference of a rod to trim each rod to the desired cross-sectional contour.

15. That method of making wire from metal strip which includes rolling the strip to provide channels therein defining the wires, rolling the channeled strip to separate it into im're-like elements of polygonal cross section, and drawing the elements under tension in turn through a plurality of longitudinally spaced dies each of which only partially surrounds the elements but all together completely surrounding the elements to shape the elements to wires.

16. That method of making wire from metal strip which includes rolling the strip to separate it into wire-like elements of polygonal cross section, and drawing the elements under tension.

through a plurality of dies eachof which only partially surrounds the elements but all together work in ,axially spaced relation completely over the surface of the elements to shape the elements to wires.

17. Apparatus for forming strands comprising a plurality of longitudinally spaced stationary dies each adapted to engage with and trim a strand over a portion of its circumference but together and in sequence engaging with the entire circumference of the strand, and roller means for directing the strand into engagement with the dies in turn.

18. Apparatus for forming wires from flat sheet metal comprising means for severing the sheet metal into strands, means for dividing the .strands into groups lying in different planes,

means for trimming substantially a circumferential half of each strand in one group and means operating substantially simultaneously with the first trimming means for trimming substantially a circumferential half of each strand in the second group, means for reversing the position of the planes of the groups, means for completing the trimming of the circumference of each strand in one group. and means for completing the trimming of the circumference of each strand in the other group.

19. Apparatus for forming wires from fiat sheet metal comprising means for severing the sheet metal into strands, means for dividing the strands into groups lying in different planes,

means for trimming part of the circumference of the strands while in the different planes, means for changing the position of the planes, and means for trimming the remainder of the circumference of the strands in the changed position of the planes.

20. That method of making wire from metal trimming substantially the other circumferenstrip which comprises separating the strip into tial half of each strand in Lie other group, rea plurality of strands, dividing the strands into versing the positional? the planes of the groups groups lying in different planes, trimming suband. completing the trimming of the strands in 5 stantially a circumferential half of 'each strand each group substantially simultaneously.

in one group and substantially simultaneously ERNEST E. TROSS. 

